In what has come to be known as the sensational Alipiri bomb blast case allegedly targeting former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Fourth Additional District and Sessions Court, Tirupati, on Thursday acquitted Maoist leader Panduranga Reddy alias Sagar (A-30) and another accused (A-3) Gangi Reddy on the ground that the prosecution reportedly failed to prove the charges against them beyond doubt.

The court which was dealing with an appeal filed before it by Sagar and three others challenging their conviction by the trial court also observed that the trial court had wrongly convicted them though there was no evidence to prove the charges against them.

The Judge, C. Eswara Rao, delivering the judgement in the packed court, further observed that, “Without any acceptable evidence for his role as a member of the ‘action team’ and for his participation in the commission of the offence, in any manner whatsoever, the conviction against him is not sustainable and so the appellant, Sagar is entitled for acquittal.”

The judge, however, confirmed the conviction orders issued by the trial court against A1, Ramaswamy Reddy and A2, Nagarjuna

Kranthi Chaithanya, advocate for Sagar later briefing the media said though Sagar was acquitted, he could not be released, in view of the other cases pending against him in other courts. He said there was now only one case pending in the Tirupati court against Sagar, where in he was accused of raising pro-Maoist slogans when Mr. Chandrababu Naidu appeared in the court a couple of years ago in connection with the case. The advocate hoped that Sagar would be acquitted in that case too.

The police threw a huge security blanket around the court and made it out of bounds for all unauthorised persons in view of the sensitive nature of the case.